Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yup..I came from that same generation. A gold star and 100 was enough to burst through the door waving it at my mother.
Today..I see teachers handing out iTunes cards. Schools giving away xBox or PS3 for perfect attendance.
I've read of high schools giving away new cars to seniors.
That "carrot" has gotten mighty expensive over the years.
That's because education has no intrinsic value. We give it away for free and you get it whether you want it or not and whether or not you work at it or not. Things we're given for free tend not to be things we value much. We value the things we work for.
We could always tie government benefits to a high school diploma. That would be any benefits. I wouldn't grandfather people in, either, so a GED diploma would be okay, too.
One thing our school district does is introduce the career element into it's Middle School curriculum and again into HS. In eighth grades kids research careers and have mock interviews, (i.e. "Yes, I went to Harvard and graduated 1st in my class, and I would like to be an editor for your publishing company") While researching careers they have to find out what education is required and what the salary is for something they think they would like to do. The culminating day is a career fair where several dozen people come in and talk about their jobs. These are pretty much people from all over the community ranging from mechanics to surgeons. The kids sign up for three talks.
In HS they do a resume in a technology class where they research what educational and/or technical requirements are needed for a particular career. It's not uncommon for the career choices to be very different at this point then they were two years prior. They also learn how to do a basic college search and visit the local CC and a local small private college. At the end of this class they shadow someone in their intended career for a couple of days.
To me, the above is the carrot needed. If you can't envision a future, it's hard to be motivated to strive for one.
The problem is that teenagers don't have any ability to think long range. In fact, many adults don't seem to have that ability. It's not a matter of researching career choices, but the ability to actually try to put into practice the things that will get you to the goal.
The problem is that teenagers don't have any ability to think long range. In fact, many adults don't seem to have that ability. It's not a matter of researching career choices, but the ability to actually try to put into practice the things that will get you to the goal.
I agree. They are, biologically, programmed to learn that which helps them NOW. They live in NOW. We can tell them until they a blue in the face that they will spend 70% of their life over the age of 25 all we want but they just don't get that the decisions they make today impact their quality of life tomorrow unless they have seen this example in action. I find that my students who have successful parents who are in careers that required degrees work harder. They aspire to have what their parents have and know their parnets got an education to get it. They don't see how it fits yet but they aren't arguing with success. Those who don't have that example just don't see it and there's nothing we can do to get them to see it.
I think we need some serious bribery here...WE know what kids need to do to succeed but we can't convince them of that so give them a carrot until they can see it for themselves. The successful ones will become the carrot for their own kids. Kids are unlikely to aspire to a lifestyle that is beneath the one they grew up with.
Cars are a big bribe item in the school where I teach. Daddy WILL take the Jag away if they don't make the grade. Even poor folks like us can use this one. We kept an old car just to have a third car, in part to make it easier when dd needs to get places but in part to have something to ground her from she cares about. While it's not HER car, we let her tell people it is (big deal at her school to have your own car). Interestingly, it only took grounding her from the car a couple of times before she started reining herself in. She won't cross the line. For dd the school issue is not doing assignments. She loses the car if something is not turned in now. Works wonders. Her semester GPA jumped over half a point since the car was on the line.
Yes, it's bribery but it's what it takes to get her to do what she needs to right now. IMO, this is the same thing as paying kids for chores. Yes, they should do them anyway but the payment insures they do. The benefit is they are learning to do the chores correctly and, in this case, learning the value of a dollar. Dd sees a lot of value in having a car. No, it's not intrinsic motivation but, seriously, it's pretty hard to get teenagers to have intrinsic motivation to learn. They live in NOWVILLE not when I'm 35 ville....
I DO think kids can connect the dots when you bash them over the head with the info enough. You can't just say if you want to be an engineer and get into a decent school you have to do well in HS. But if they look into something that semi interests them, meet someone that does that, then a goal can happen. What's the downside? Just hope they figure out something??
Everybody is motivated by something, but the goal has to be internalized for kids to do something about it. Exposing them to an interesting future is bound to motivate some kids.
I remember the moment my older son decided to get his Eagle rank in boy scouts. I had given up on the possibility of him getting one because he was almost 16 and there are timely requirements that would make it pretty hard for him to do. But, he watched his friend get his Eagle and decided to go for it. Two years later after much hard work he got it, but that would not have happened if he wasn't motivated.
I think part of the problem is that it's hard for public schools to find what motivates each student. Just like differentiated instruction, kids need differentiated motivation. I think it's more the parents job to figure out what that might be. Carrot or stick or a little of both.
I DO think kids can connect the dots when you bash them over the head with the info enough. You can't just say if you want to be an engineer and get into a decent school you have to do well in HS. But if they look into something that semi interests them, meet someone that does that, then a goal can happen. What's the downside? Just hope they figure out something??
Everybody is motivated by something, but the goal has to be internalized for kids to do something about it. Exposing them to an interesting future is bound to motivate some kids.
I remember the moment my older son decided to get his Eagle rank in boy scouts. I had given up on the possibility of him getting one because he was almost 16 and there are timely requirements that would make it pretty hard for him to do. But, he watched his friend get his Eagle and decided to go for it. Two years later after much hard work he got it, but that would not have happened if he wasn't motivated.
I think part of the problem is that it's hard for public schools to find what motivates each student. Just like differentiated instruction, kids need differentiated motivation. I think it's more the parents job to figure out what that might be. Carrot or stick or a little of both.
This is why I think the children of the successful and educated in my district do well. They see that their parents used education to get ahead. While they don't, necessarily, strive to be like their parents, they fear losing their standard of living. Kids with uneducated parents aren't so motivated. They have to see someone else using education to improve their lives to buy in and then I think repeat exposure helps a lot.
Congrats to your son on making Eagle Scout. That's quite an accomplishment.
The problem is that teenagers don't have any ability to think long range. In fact, many adults don't seem to have that ability. It's not a matter of researching career choices, but the ability to actually try to put into practice the things that will get you to the goal.
That depends. I've known what I wanted to do for a long, long time (IT). I took a fair number of my comp tech classes in high school, and a few in middle school as well. I based my colleges on technology - it's why I didn't go to a regular 4 year school. I'm in the minority though. There are people from my graduating class that are still wandering around or have no idea.
I think it's based on the parents though. My dad is in IT, and I got the bug from him. He built on it and let me work on it too, so that helped.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I agree. They are, biologically, programmed to learn that which helps them NOW. They live in NOW. We can tell them until they a blue in the face that they will spend 70% of their life over the age of 25 all we want but they just don't get that the decisions they make today impact their quality of life tomorrow unless they have seen this example in action. I find that my students who have successful parents who are in careers that required degrees work harder. They aspire to have what their parents have and know their parnets got an education to get it. They don't see how it fits yet but they aren't arguing with success. Those who don't have that example just don't see it and there's nothing we can do to get them to see it. 
I think it's more the parents job to figure out what that might be. Carrot or stick or a little of both.
